August 19, 2013: In a first for the armed forces, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to create a realistic high-end air combat videogame with an overt IAF theme, with the intention to attract youth to flying operations in the Air Force. The IAF has had a shortage of pilots for years, and its recruitment arm has now decided to think out of the box to get things going -- on the lines of what the USAF and RAF have done in the past successfully.

According to the IAF's RFI to software and game developers across the country, the IAF aims to "develop a high end air combat game based on the Indian Air Force to reach out to millions of youth, to appeal to them and attract them to the real league: the IAF." Sources say the IAF is looking for a realistic and immersive air combat experience that people will be able to play on computers, tablets and mobile phones. Missions and campaigns will feature realistic regional events, and of course the IAF combat aircraft including the Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Jaguar and light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas.